Standing ovation in a theatre

[Ginburee]

Last night I went with a friend on a very very rare night to the theatre (2:22).
I have wanted to go for ages and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am plus size and have rather a sore tail bone after a slightly enthusiastic waterside incident with the smalls last week.
In an old theatre sitting at the back of the smalls with a big guy in front of me so I had to lean made it quite painful.
As soon as the lights came on about 3/4 of the audience stood to clap- is this really necessary as I couldn't stand due to discomfort and people pushing past and I couldn't see the cast at all.
When did this beco.e a thing?

It is now you’ve pointed it out. But the use of smalls twice in one post, when I didn’t know what the op meant in the first instance, confused me somewhat.

Actually, i think ive got that wrong - lights coming on means the house lights - i was thinking stage lights .
I can still see why it was annoying though.

Oh no he doesn’t

I hate standing ovations. So unnecessary and it means only the people on the front row can actually see the cast at that point. Everyone else - especially if you remain seated - has to look at the back of the person in front

👏😂

First time I remember it was at Joseph and his dream coat over 30 years ago.

I'm still confused at to why people want to be able to see the cast for 5 more minutes after seeing them for 2h.

It’s been a “thing” for years now - I saw Cats, Phantom and Les Mis in the 90’s and they all had a standing ovation at the end. More recently saw Six and that had one too 🤷‍♀️

But if the lights had come up, surely you were about to stand up to leave anyway, so you could just look past the person in front, look at the cast and then leave? You were going to have to stand anyway, I'm not sure it matters it was a minute or so earlier than you might have preferred.

But yes, most performances have standing ovations now.

Urgh, as a very regular concert-goer standing ovations drive me crazy.

Sat through a hugely boring rendition of Mahler 2, I don't know one person there who wasn't wishing for it to be over already, and just like that everyone is standing to applaud at the end. I didn't want to look like an absolute Scrooge so also stood. No one can see the stage when everyone is standing, so you lose interest in the applause anyway. Rude, rude, rude.

How are standing ovations new?! I do a lot of performing (very rarely professionally) and standing ovations from the audience make the cast and crew's night. It feels amazing to bow to an audience on their feet for what we have all created. I can still remember my first one (as Marta in a local am dram production of The Sound of Music in th early 90s 😆).

I'm a little mean with my standing ovations as an audience member because I do agree that they should be for 'out of the ordinary' performances, not every show. But that's of course subjective. For example, looking upthread, I completely agree Operation Mincemeat, Standing at the Sky's Edge and Benjamin Button were exceptional and hugely deserved standing ovations. But II completely disagree with this:
2:22 is a very simple and not particularly challenging play, and has always gone for crowd-pleasing celebrity casts of former pop stars, minor soap actors and similar types with limited or no previous stage acting experience. Hence it attracts a certain audience who are not regular theatre goers, and are just hysterical at seeing a certain ‘celebrity’ on stage
I don't know who was in it when I saw it (nobody I recognised) but it really stayed with me. I found it gripping and the ending felt like someone had punched me. I loved it. And definitely gave it a standing ovation. But of course the same show, to someone else, gets a view like the above. So there can't be a right or wrong with what deserves standing ovations, just personal taste.

I love a standing ovation! It makes me quite emotional actually.

I've experienced this in every show I've seen in the last two years. As a wheelchair user it's extremely selfish and frustrating.

I always stand if I have really loved something - I actually think Brits (I am British) are often too reserved about doing it. I do it regardless of whether anyone else is - I make my own choice about it.

Yeah, it’s annoying. I’ve not been to many of the sorts of show where this happens but it goes in a wave - people at the front stand up then the next row feels they have to etc. I’m short, so whereas I can usually see ok when everyone is seated, eith everyone standing all I can see is backs and it’s a somewhat claustrophobic feeling to stay seated.

That may have been the case with musicals, but they have never been common for straight plays until recently. I've been going to the theatre once or twice a month for over three decades.

The trouble is, when it becomes routine it's meaningless. If every mediocre performance gets a standing ovation, what do you do to acknowledge one that is genuinely great?

I prefer to make an exit as soon as the show/ play/ performance finishes, so during curtain calls. I try to sit at the end of a row for that reason, but if I can’t, it’s very convenient if everyone stands up because it makes my escape easier. Despite this, my own view is that a standing ovation should be the rarest of accolades for an absolutely outstanding performance. These days, it’s almost de rigeur for anything that involves a stage and performers.

Sounds like the cast put on a great show if 3/4 of the audience thought they deserved a standing ovation!
Sounds like you had a miserable night though.
Maybe try the cinema next time - an Everyman with comfy seats and well tiered/terraced rows.

Typo

Why is it rude and selfish? It is literally when the show is over . Also, if you think it’s mediocre you dont have to take part. But if people have genuinely enjoyed it why shouldn’t they show their appreciation in a time honoured way?

Im always struck by how hard the cast work . I dont think it should be just for musicals. Even in “serious” plays , the cast work their socks off.

Yes but how does that work in practice? What you think is ordinary someone else might think it outstanding. The issue is the sheep that stand up just cos everyone else is .

I'm 35, studied theatre at uni, have been part of touring theatre companies and have been giving standing ovations since I was old enough to stand. Admittedly when I was little I stood when my mam stood, but as I got older I stood whenever I felt a performance deserved it, which it very often does. The amount of time, effort, stress, talent, skills, dedication etc that goes into performances, I believe, deserves recognition.

I don’t think standing ovations are new. You aren’t obliged to stand. If you remain seated and clap people will assume you need to sit

It does seem to happen at every performance now, which I think devalues it. I saw The Ferryman in New York a few years ago and it was out of this world, the best thing I’ve ever seen in the theatre. Everyone was on their feet instantly rather than that reluctant shuffle of people getting up that usually happens. Mind you I’ve only been to one play in the US that didn’t get a standing ovation.

That show is absolutely fantastic

There wasn't a standing ovation when I saw it, so I am pleased that it got one.

I haven't seen a standing ovation happen for a rubbish show. Just my experience.

But generally, I can't see why you'd complain about it. It's disappointing if you can't participate, but that's not anyone's fault.